Delvin Mitchell, 25, and his girlfriend of over four years, Mariah Esters, pose for a picture that was taken last Thanksgiving. He was found dead inside a car in late January on the 2300 block of Frisse Avenue. (Photo: Provided by Mariah Esters)

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Mariah Esters said Delvin De’vontae Mitchell’s laugh is the first thing she thinks of when talking about him. She can now only hear it in the video he recorded on Christmas Eve about a month before he was shot and killed.

“I have a video on my phone that I watch a lot,” Mitchell's longtime girlfriend said Wednesday, her voice wavering slightly. “He was recording us opening presents. My nephew did something, and it just made him laugh and laugh …

Mitchell’s twin sister LaDonna Mitchell can’t believe anyone would want to hurt him. Less than a month after the two turned 25 he was found dead.

The two were a “match, like salt to pepper.”

LaDonna Mitchell described her twin as high-spirited and handsome, a man whose smile could make a person melt.

“That laugh could move mountains and give you hope that better days are coming,” Mitchell said.

LaDonna Mitchell and Delvin Mitchell, her twin brother, are pictured together in a photograph from 2014. “That laugh [his laugh] could move mountains and give you hope that better days are coming,” LaDonna said.(Photo: Provided by LaDonna Mitchell)

'I miss him so much'

Delvin Mitchell was found dead in a car on the East Side in late January.

It’s still not clear what happened before he died. Police have not publicly released details on any suspect or a potential motive.

According to Mitchell's obituary, he was survived by both of his parents and 10 siblings, including LaDonna, as well as Esters.

She remembers Mitchell as an inspiration. He was the person friends went to for encouragement.

'Really good person'

“He took care of a lot of people,” Esters said. “He didn’t want to see anybody down. He wanted everybody to achieve their dreams.”

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Mariah Esters lost her long-time boyfriend Delvin Mitchell, 25, to gun violence. The Evansville Police Department has not publicly released details on any suspect or a potential motive in Mitchell's killing.(Photo: SAM OWENS/ COURIER & PRESS)

The couple were together for more than four years. They talked about getting married, according to Esters. She and Mitchell had looked at engagement rings together only a week before he died.

They found the perfect one, Esters said Wednesday. She pulled the photo up on her phone. An opal, her birthstone, just like she wanted.

After he died, Esters got a tattoo of his name in his honor. She posted a photo of it on Facebook the day before Mitchell’s funeral.

“He was just a really good person,” she said. “To everybody.”

Esters showed up to his funeral early to see him before it started. She doesn’t remember crying during the service. She said she misses him but feels at peace.

“I feel like he is almost still with me,” Esters said. She’s seen him in dreams since he passed away. “It’s almost like he’s telling me that he’s alright.”

Twenty-five-year-old Delvin Mitchell is pictured on January 13, 2019, less than two weeks before his death. (Photo: Provided by Mariah Esters)

Still looking for more information

Mitchell was pronounced dead Jan. 25 after he was found inside a car on Frisse Avenue. Evansville Police officers reported they were called to the 2300 block of the street around midnight for a report of shots fired and found Mitchell there.

People nearby said they did not recognize the car Mitchell was found in. City police asked people to come forward if they had heard or seen anything unusual in the area that night.

Esters, like LaDonna Mitchell, said she does not understand why Delvin was shot.

“He just had such a pure soul,” she said.

Anyone with information can call Evansville Police Department at 812-436-7979 or the WeTip hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME.

Editor's note: The Courier and Press plans to profile each person killed in a homicide this year in Vanderburgh County. We want to remind the community of the individuals lost to violent crime and the people left behind.